Perhaps it shouldn't be surprising that a coach for the team that forced an NCAA-best 44 turnovers a season ago is consistently urging his players to snatch the ball out of the air and away from the offense. But maybe those defensive backs really do need a little reminding — and work in that area.

Of the 24 interceptions the Cowboys tallied in 2011 — a total that ranked second in the nation — only one came from a safety.

One.

“I tell my guys, ‘Listen, you change the course of the game when you give the offense the ball back; when you take the ball from (the opposing team),'” Malone said.

That seems obvious. But Malone knows some DBs don't think that way — because he didn't when he starred at Texas and then played in the NFL for five seasons.

“I coach off my mistakes,” Malone said. “When I played, (trying to intercept the pass) was not my philosophy. My philosophy was, ‘You know what? I'm gonna knock this guy out.' I would knock a guy out before I'd intercept that football.

“You hit that guy, you knocked him out, they've got a new guy in (on offense). On third down, maybe the running back breaks a run for 80 yards for a touchdown. (Then) your hit does not matter. Maybe you should have let him catch it (before) — they may not have run that play. The thing is to change the game.”

So Malone's meeting room features photos of all his players with a running log of when each forced a turnover during spring practice, providing a constant visual reminder of that philosophy while promoting healthy competition. There's also a deeper focus on treating the defensive backs more like wide receivers by teaching them how to properly play the ball and look it in while catching it.